Locomotive starting device



Feb, 10. 1925-. 1,526,025

C. F. STREET LoGoMoTIvE STARTING DEVICE Filed March 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l MyW/@ggg BY I i W Aojgf Feb, l0. 1925. 1,526,025

c. F. STREET LoCoMoTIvE STARTING DEVICE Filed March 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hasta Feb. 1o, 1925.

UNITED STATES STREET, 0F PELHAM, NEW YORK.

LOCOIOTIVE STARTING DEVICE.

Ap'pueanon mea Maren 2s, 1920. serial No. 368,123.

improved auxiliary motor device, either re-y ciprocatory or rotary, and having a ratchet connection for rotating one ofthe `wheels or axles of the vehicle 'with a continuous and uniform application of power to assist in starting the locomotive.-

It is well known that greater power is required to start a train than-to keep it in motion afteronce started,A and that the capacity of a locomotive is limited by the weight of train that it is able to start. By

means of my improvement, the starting capacity of a locomotive is increased 'so that it may be able to start substantially vas heavy a train as it can haul in service after the train is in motion, and at the same time effect the starting of the train with a much smoother action than formerly. With the modern high power locomotives, when handlin long and heavy freight or passenger trains, difficulty has been" experienced in starting such trains easily and smoothly and without danger of breakin the train, or damage to lequipment and la 'ng, or inconvenience to passengers, on account of the great variation in the starting torque of the locomotive, and the necessity of bunching the slack of the train and then applying full power of the engine to run out the slack in sta-rting.l With the addition of -my improvement, in which the auxiliary motor ratchet connection ous and uniform po to assist in overcoming theinertia in starting, the above mentioned ldiiiiculties are entirely lovercome as it is not-necessa to bunch the slack be ore starting the train, and the same may be started easily and smoothly with a steady and continuous ull. After the train has been started an attained a. positive motion, the auxiliary motor is cut out of operation,

an its high leverage rate with a continuverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. v

1; Fig.' 4, a sectional view showin a modilied arrangement of the engine; lig. 5, a side View showlng a rotary motor connected lto the ratchet mechanism; and, Fig. 6, a

view, at right angles thereto, with the pawl mechanism shown in section.

According to the construction shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the improved auxiliary engine comprises a cylinder, 5, containing a piston, 6, having a stem, 7, and actuated, in one direction, by the steam, and, in the opposite direction, by a spring, 8. A ,distribution valve, 9, is employed for controlling the admission of steam to thepressure end of the cylinder through port, 10, and the exhaust therefrom through port, 11, thc valve being operated by the movement of the piston through any suitable mechanism, as by means of lever, 12, tappet rod, 13, having tappets, 14, adapted to engage the pin, 15, mountedon stem, 7, of the piston.

A slide, 16, having a pawl, 17 pivoted at one end, is mounted in a.. guide, 18, supported by, and preferably .formed integral with, the cylinder, 5, the slide beingl operated by the movement of the engine piston. as for instance, by the lever, 19, vpivotally mounted on a bracket supported by the cylinder, and pivotally connected at its ends to the piston stem, 7, and the end ofthe slide, '16. A spring, 20, Ymounted on the slide acts upon the pawl, 17 tending to turn the same downward into engagement with the teeth of a ratchet, 21, Ymounted on a traction wheel, 22, of the l motive or other vehicle. A stop, 23, carriedby the guide, 18, is adapted .to engage the pawl, 17, and throw lthe same out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet when the piston, 6, is returned by .the spring, 8, `to its extreme inner or normal position, as indi'- cated in full lines in Fig. 1. The auxiliary engine 1s `controlled 'by a valve operated y a pedal device, said valve having an operating connection extending into the cab of the locomotive. This is preferablyY in the form' of a edal device, 28, extending above the deck, 2 and adapt- 'cd' to bed'epressed by the foot of the engineer for compressing spring, 24, and opening the valve, 25, to supply steam through a pipe, 26, to the admission port, 10, of the valve of the engine.

The ratchet teeth, 21, may be formed upon a wheel, 22, either by welding or by casting the same integrally upon the inner side of the wheel, or by forming said teeth upon a ring which may be secured to the wheel by welding, or in any desired manner, or if preferred, the ratchet teeth may be carried upon a separate disc mounted upon an axle of the vehicle.

When the engineer desires to employ the auxiliary engine to assist in starting the locomotive and train, he steps upon .the-pedal, 28, to lopen the valve, 25 'at the same time that he opens the main throttle valve of the locomotive, whereupon the steam flows through pipe, 26, and admission port, 10 into the cylinder, 5,v forcing out the piston, 6, against the spring, 8, and actuating the slide, 16, -to extend the pawl, 17. As the pawl moves away 'from the guide stop, 23, the spring, 20, turns the pawl into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet, 21, as indicated in dotted lines in F ig. 1, and exerts the force of the engine to turn the wheel, 22. As the piston, 6, reaches the outer end of its stroke, the pin, 15, engages the outer tappet, 14, and shifts the valve, 9, to close the admission port, 10, and open the exhaust port, 11, whereupon the spring, 8, returns the piston toward its inner position until the other tappet is engaged by the pin, 15, and the valve is again shifted to its positionA for closing the exhaust port, l1, and opening ther admission port, l0. The forward movement of the pawl is sufficient to move the ratchet and wheel one orvmore notchesywhile the return movement is' Sufficient to draw the pawl back over one or more teeth, but not far'enough to engage the stop, 23. The piston continues to reciprocate in this manner and actuate the pawl and ratchet to turn the wheel as long as the engineer holds his foot on the pedal, 28, with the supply valve,v25, open. After the train is started, the engineer closes valve, 25, by removing his foot from pedal, 28, allowing the spr1ng,24, t actuate the valve and shut off the supplyA of steam to the auxiliary engine. V'Ihe spring, 8, then returns the piston, 6, to its extreme position, so that the stop, 23, raises the pawl, 11, out of ngagement with` theratchet, 21, and the wheel continues to rotate freely without striking the pawl.

This form of the apparatus comprises a compact structure which may be applied where the available space is limited, as it usually is upon most locomotives, but where there is room, the modified form shown in Fig. 4 o*I the drawing, may be used, if preferred. In this the cylinder, 5, lis located in line with the slide, 16, the piston stem, 7, being coupled directly thereto, and

the intermediate lever, 19, is eliminated. The guide, 18, and cylinder may be mounted in any convenient fashion, on the frame o f the vehicle. The operation of the engine andthe-pawland ratchet mechanism is substantially the same' as before described.

Inv the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, ajrotary motor, 25, with crank, 26, and connectingrod, 27, coupled to the slide, 16, is substitutedfor the reciprocating engine of the other designs and operates to reciprocate the slide, 16. and actuate the pawl, 17', and ratchet, 21, to turn the wheel, 22, as long as motive fluid or current is supplied to the motor, aswill be readily understood.

|The ratchet mechanism maybe applied to any of the wheels of the locomotive, tender or-other vehicle, or toany suitable driving connection therewith, as desired, but preferably to other than the driving wheels of the' locomotive in order to increase the tract'ive effort.

It will be understood that the termrat'ehet mechanism is intended-to cover any forwardy locking and backward slipping device, whether or not the same includes actual ratchet teeth for engagementy withA a pawl o-r other locking member.

AHaving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination of a motor, a ratchet for drivingl the vehicle, a pawl for operating said ratchet, and a slide actuated by the motor for reciprocating said pawl.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of a motor, a ratchet for driving the vehicle, a pawl for operating said ratchet, a fixed guide, and a slide mounted in said guide' and carrying said. pawl. y.

3. In a vehicle, the combination of la motor, aratchet for driving the vehicle, a pawl for operating said ratchet, a fixed guide, and a slide mounted in said guide and carrying said pawl, and a stop on said guide for raising said pawl out of o eration at the extreme inner position o the slide.

fi. In a vehicle, the combination with an automaticall reciprocating lmotor, and a ratchet mec anism operated thereby for driving the vehicle, of a pedaldevice located in the cab for starting the motor, and means operating automatically to stop'said motor when the pedal is released. p

5. In a locomotive, the combination with the main locomotive engine, of an auxiliary motor having means for reciprocating automatically, and la ratchet 'mechanism' operated thereby` for assisting in` drivin the locomotive,a pedal device located in the vice for controlling a supply of fluid to saidV auxiliary motor.

6. In a vehicle, the combination With a tiuid pressure motor comprising a cylinder and piston, of a forward locking and backward slipping device actuated by an intermediate movement of the `piston for driving the vehicle, and means operated by the cxtreme release movement of the piston for disengaging said device when iuid pressure is cut ott'.

't'. In a vehicle, the combination with a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, of a ratchet mechanism actuated by a shorter reciprocating movement of the piston for driving the vehicle, and means' operated by the extreme release movement of the piston for disengaging said ratchet.

8. In a vehicle, the combination With a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, ol a ratchet mechanism operated by the piston i'or driving the vehicle, valve mechanism operated by the movement of the piston, a valve operated by a pedal device for opening a supply of fluid to the motor, and means i'or automatically closing said last mentioned valve.

9. In a vehicle, the combination With a motor comprising a cylinder land piston, a ratchet mechanism operated by the piston for driving the vehicle, a valve operated by the movement of the piston for controlling the admission and exhaust'of [luid to and from the cylinder, and a valve controlled by a pedal device, said valve having operating means extending into the vehicle cab.

l0. In a vehicle, the combination with a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, a distribution valve for admitting fluid to actuate the piston in one direction, a spring for actuating the piston in the opposite direction, and a ratchet mechanism operated by the piston for driving the vehicle.

11. In a vehicle, the combination with a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, a ratchet for driving the vehicle, a slide actuated by the piston, and a paWl mounted on the slide and adapted to engage the ratchet.

' 12. In a vehicle, the combination with a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, a ratchet for driving the vehicle, a guide supported yon the cylinder, a slide mounted on said guide, an oscillating lever connecting said slide and the piston, and a pawl mounted on said slide and adapted to engage the ratchet.

13. In a vehicle, the combination With a motor comprisinga cylinder and piston, a ratchet for driving the vehicle, a slide actuated by the piston, and a pawl mounted on the slide and adapted to engagethe ratchet, and a stop for retracting the pavvl when the slide is returned to normal position.

14. In a vehicle, Vthe combination with a motor comprising a cylinder and piston, of a valve means governed by the movement ot the piston for controlling a supply of fluid to one end of the cylinder, a spring' for actuating said piston in the opposite direction, a pawl and Vratchet mechanism operated by the piston for driving the vehicle, and a stop for throwing the pawl out of operation.

15. In a controlling mechanism for auxiliary propulsion units for locomotives, means for supplying steam from the' locomotive boiler to the auxiliary propulsion unit upon the opening of the throttle valve, and means actuated under the pressure in.- iluence of the steam prior to the eli'ective operation of said propulsion unit for establishing a driving connection between said unit and an axle to be driven thereby.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLEMENT F. STREET. 

